This week at the Box Office

Rio 3D flies straight into top spot at the cinema

By
Jamie Goodwin
19 April 2011

Rio (3D)Weekly takings (April 7-13): Dhs2,655,920Weekly admissions: 59,520
A friendly domesticated macaw named Blu travels from small-town Minnesota to Rio de Janeiro, when he meets the bird of his dreams. But the object of his affections, the fiercely independent Jewel is no pushover: cue a comedic animated rewriting of the gender stereotypes yet again, with Jewel assisting (a rather emasculated) Blu to learn to fly, while making all sorts of friends, including will.i.am and Jamie Foxx.Total box office: Dhs2,655,920Total admissions: 59,520

Source CodeWeekly takings: Dhs1,773,769Weekly admissions: 50,755
Jake Gyllenhaal is edgy as confused Blackhawk helicopter pilot Captain Colter Stevens, who wakes up on a Chicago commuter train with no clue how he got there or what his ‘mission’ is. The attractive woman seated opposite, Christina (Michelle Monaghan), seems to think he’s a school teacher called Sean, and the face reflected in the train window is not his. Suddenly, an explosion rips through the train, and Colter finds himself in what may be the cockpit of his crashed chopper. Via a video screen, uniformed military ‘minder’ Goodwin (Vera Farmiga) explains that Colter is part of an experimental project, which allows access to a parallel reality for eight minutes at a time. And he has to keep going back in – not to stop the explosion, which has already happened, but to identify the terrorist on the train, who has also planted a ‘dirty bomb’ in the city. Total box office: Dhs1,773,769Total admissions: 50,755

LimitlessWeekly takings: Dhs902,899Weekly admissions: 29,592
Limitless is a brutally nihilistic takedown of all the things most of us hold sacred (love, art, politics) and some things we don’t (economics and pharmaceuticals, and those who work in economics and pharmaceuticals). Cooper excels as Eddie Morra, who we meet as an under-motivated New York author and leave as a politician running for high office. In the interim, we chart his addiction to a pill that harnesses the power of the mind, turning him into an all-conquering super-brain. But at what price? The main reason the film is so successful is that its satire pulls no punches: corporate tycoons are unfeeling jerks, but will they get their comeuppance? And self-medicating of untested drugs can prompt murderous urges, but is that such a bad thing for society? David JenkinsTotal box office: Dhs2,930,902Total admissions: 86,453

Red Riding HoodWeekly takings: Dhs887,315Weekly admissions: 26,606
Catherine Hardwicke moves from a modern romance (Twilight) to a Grimm classic with this daft retelling of the girl-in-the-crimson-cloak legend. There’s a (were)wolf, of course, and it’s terrorising a forest village’s populace, especially the faux-feminist Red herself (Seyfried), now named Valerie – whether after Bertinelli or Solanas is anyone’s guess.

Of course, there’s some plodding Team Jacob/Edward canoodling between Val and her two dim-bulb suitors, plus a crazy cleric (Oldman) with a merry band of multiracial creature hunters. The highlight, though, is Christie, who plays the Grandma, whose GILFy gorgeousness (especially in the ‘better to eat you with’ scene) is the only thing in this rather overblown campfest with real teeth. Total box office: Dhs887,315Total admissions: 26,606

Zahaymer (Arabic) Weekly takings: Dhs673,295Weekly admissions: 21,908
A’del Imam assumes the character of Mahmoud Shoaib, a wealthy businessman that suffers from Alzheimer’s. Shoaib’s children are eager to acquire their father’s wealth and thus they try to pull off some sort of legal stunt through which they would become their father’s guardians and thus in charge of his wealth. However, Shoaib’s nurse comes to his aid and turns their plans head over heels. Total box office: Dhs3,773,694Total admissions: 118,837

Tomorrow When the War BeganWeekly takings: Dhs469,685Weekly admissions: 15,061
A regular on Australasian school reading lists, the film remake of the first in author John Marsden’s Tomorrow series will resonate with many expats here. Something of a coming-of-age tale mixed with social commentary and warfare: seven teen friends from a small town set out camping to Hell (the alleged name of their countryside destination), hoping to feel reinspired by and at one with nature. While they’re off gallivanting, their country is invaded by another, unknown country. On arrival home they realise a) their lives and home are changed forever, and b) they suddenly have to go into battle. According to fans of the book, the film manages to live up to its literary inspiration. Expect sequels. Total box office: Dhs469,685Total admissions: 15,061

PaulWeekly takings: Dhs327,037Weekly admissions: 10,236
British best buds Graeme and Clive (Pegg and Frost, also the film’s writers) follow up a geektastic visit to Comic-Con with an exciting RV road trip around the American Southwest. Their plan is to visit a bunch of UFO hot spots, but happenstance, and a bit of bad driving, soon puts them in the path of wacky alien Paul. Save for the occasional stopover, this ET just wants to get home. Keith UhlichTotal box office: Dhs1,123,197Total admissions: 34,627

RangoWeekly takings: Dhs156,676Weekly admissions: 5,194
Directed the man who brought us Pirates of the Caribbean, this family-friendly animation sees Johnny Depp lend his voice to an ambitious yet naïve chameleon, Rango, who’s escaped his terrarium and set out on the open road. Finding himself in an American Western-style town populated by all manner of law-breaking desert critters, he wastes no time establishing himself as a force for good, but it’s not well-received. Total box office: Dhs3,181,514 Total admissions: 104,019

Adjustment BureauWeekly takings: Dhs137,193Weekly admissions: 4,045
Lurking in midtown is a team of natty planners who, mysteriously, can change the course of history. They’re all obsessed with Matt Damon, a local politician who might be President one day. The zing here comes from echoes of The Manchurian Candidate, but the shifting terrain becomes too random, the movie works better as a romance. Joshua RothkopfTotal box office: Dhs2,469,861Total admissions: 67,999